Peak District Moorland Group's taskforce volunteers clear 'unprecedented' amount of litter from beauty spots

With lockdown easing, many people furloughed or working from home and sweltering temperatures, the Peak District National Park has attracted an increasing number of visitors week on week.

The influx of visitors has meant a huge increase in the amount of rubbish.

At the same time, many of the staff employed by the National Park Authority have been furloughed and their usual volunteers are out of action, meaning that the usual litter picking has not been carried out.

To combat the problem, the Peak District Moorland Group enlisted gamekeepers, their families and other residents of the area to collect the litter which had accumulated in some of the most remote and idyllic areas of the National Park.

Much of the detritus consisted of empty alcohol containers anddisposable barbecues – which cause problems in themselves, having been the cause of moorland wildfires in recent weeks.

Peak District gamekeeper Richard Bailey, who helped mastermind the clean-up, said: “It was especially encouraging to meet like-minded moorland visitors tackling the rubbish along with us.”

Since 1976 there have been more than 350 reported incidents of 'wildfires' of which the majority are started by barbecues, campfires, discarded cigarettes or arson.

The moorland group is encouraging visitors to take their rubbish home with them.